Even Cato has someone waiting
by ESJ77
Summary: Why does Cato fight so hard to get out? And is his story really over in the first book? Find out about Erica's and Cato's love story, with flashback and promises. Erica's POV . Yeah so that was a bad summary, but please check it out. And review!
1. Chapter 1

**Everybody has someone waiting**

The sounds of tired footsteps and the occasional moan could be heard from just behind the mound where we lay on our backs, looking up at the darkening sky. It was the lower branch of the mineworkers making their way home in the twilight.

Those workers were the ones who had the longest hours and the highest number of mouths to feed. When I looked at their sweaty and worn out faces I felt thankful that my father wasn't one of them. But the feeling only lasted for å moment when the thoughts of what he had to do instead came rushing to me. A peacemaker. A mere foot solider doing the Capitols dirty work in districts they wouldn't even set their precious little feet in. And when I say little I mean that literally. According to my father it's very in to have small feet in the Capitol this year. I snort loudly at the idea of wearing shoes that are three times to small just so that other stuck up women can compliment the size of your feet!

"What's wrong baby? Not thinking about tomorrow are you?" A soft voice asks med quietly form my left. I look to the person whom the voice belongs to two incredible blue eyes stare back at me. I turn around to my stomach and he starts to stroke my back with a warm hand. "Well I wasn't until now", I say playfully back. But my whole body tenses and I try very hard to make it loosen up. But the horrible feeling inside won't go away, and now it will probably stay there until I have him save in my arms again. He sits up and gestures for me to do the same, and as I do he pulls me into a warm and safe embrace. "I've been training for this for as long as I can remember. This is my chance to escape the dull work in the mines, to never have to lift a sword again if I choose to. And then I'll move into on of those big mansions and we'll get married and maybe, when the times comes we'll get a dog". The last part makes us both laugh, mostly because of the mock serious tone he said it in. But also because it would be kind of nice. "Yeah, cause' you know Cato I'm not really ready to get a dog just yet. There's just so much I want to do first, you know?" I say in a dead serious voice. "I understand", he whisper's into my ear like he's really sad about it. I shriek as he blows into my neck and starts tickling me. "Stop it! Its not funny" I gasp between the laughs as I try to hold his hands away from any area that will send me into fit of laughter. But he's got the upper hand and soon he nearly sits on top of me holding my hands tightly with one hand and tickling me with the other. I fought him back with all the strength my petite body could measure. "I give up, okay? Now stop it Cato!" He stops with the tickling but he's still holding my down. "Are you sure? Because I can go on for days! Any time Erica, and you'll know I'll beat you". He smiles down at me with a handsome crooked grin of his that my little brother always tries to copy. "Oh you think so? I think I know one thing that will make you always come out losing", I say mischievously and his head bends down to meet mine. He lets go of my hands and runs his fingers through my long dark hair. As his lips meet mine I feel that same spark deep inside my stomach that I feel every time he looks at me. As our kissed become longer and more passionate he quickly remove he shirt and starts unbuttoning my blouse. "I love you", I murmur into his ear as he stars kissing my neck. "I love you to", he answers back like it was the most normal thing in the world. To love me.

"And soon, I might never see you again", my voice cracks as I say the words and Cato pulls his head up from my shoulder to look at me. "Can you stop doing that? It's like you have no faith in me! You've seen me Erica! You know how good I am! I will kill them all then come back to you! I'm better then all of them and I thought you knew that". He angrily takes his shirt on and starts to get up when he sees the tears in my eyes. "I'm sorry.." I began but he interrupted me with a soft kiss. " No, I'm sorry. It's just that I'm sick of people looking at me like I'm about to die. They all know I'm volunteering tomorrow, do they really think I would do that if I thought I would just walk to certain death? I'm not an idiot and I have no problem getting over what's going happen in the arena. It's either you or them, and I have this beautiful girl with eyes that I could just get lost in who's waiting for me back home. And I know if I die in there she's going to kill me". A sound half way between a sob and a laugh escapes my throat. "Okay that last one was good, I might tell it Caesar. We would just become the best of friends right away".

I can't help but laugh at this, yes my darling boy had all the confidence in the world."Come here you overconfident bloke!" I say and he leans down to me and we start up where we left. Completely lost in each other's warmth and comfort.


	2. Chapter 2

"Where have you been? Do you have any idea how late it is?" My mother asks me furiously two seconds after I closed the front door. I slowly untie my leather boots and put them on our small shoe rack. Wouldn't want to get some of Mother Nature on mom spot free all regular wood floor. My mom was something that the town people liked to call copycap. Someone who was a copycap wanted desperately to be like the people living in the Capitol and tried to make everything about themselves and their home as Capitol-ish as possible. For their anniversary dad gave mom an expensive operation to place her wedding ring under the skin. Now it sort of looks like she has a skin coloured ring on, only the diamond is still on the outside. She changes the colour of the diamond every year according to the new "in colour" in the Capitol. I never let her touch med with that hand. Just thinking about it sends chills down my back. I realise I haven't answered her yet when she block my way to my bedroom. "Now don't even pretend you didn't hear me young lady! I asked you, do you have any idea how late it is?" I take a look at the window on my right side and put up my most innocent face. "Pretty late seeing as the moon is up, would be my guess. Now it's your turn, how late do you think it is mother?" Her eyes narrowed and it looked for a moment as if her dark blue eyeliner covered her entire eyelid. "Mom please! Cato is leaving tomorrow, maybe for good. I really needed to have one last night with him. One last time to just hold him". I took a deep breath and blinked hard several times. I thought I had out cried my self the day he told me his plan to volunteer. And every night I discovered how wrong I was. My mother sniffed at the mentioning of Cato's name. "You shouldn't get so attached to that boy. What happens when he dies in the games? Are you going to break don't and stop living your life? You know how much Alec looks up to you. You can't do that to him". I felt my cheeks getting hot with anger and most of all I wants to slap her. But I didn't, because I knew she would then slap me back, with her ring hand. "If he dies mom, not when. And when he comes back he'll be the richest man in the entire district!" I had started yelling now and as my own face get warmer and warmer my mothers face go completely white and her mouth was only visible as a thin blue line. "Mom? Erica? Why are you fighting?" Alec stood in the doorway to his room looking so young and vulnerable. "Hey tough guy, what are you doing out of bed? Want the mountain lions to catch you?" I said and tried to distract him by chasing him into his room and climbing up to his bed with him. It works and he stood up in his bed and pretended to have a riffle in his hand. "You better go hide lion! Or else I might shoot you down with this riffle!" I held up my hands in surrender. "Oh no! Please be good to me hunter! I promise not eat you up! Maybe I could just bite your arm a little bit?" Then I grabbed his arm and bite him gently while making chewing noises. Alec screamed with the sort of joy that only an eleven year old could make. "Let me have your arm hunter!" I growled into his pyjamas. "Okay! But you have to return it tomorrow!" Alec said laughing. "Can't make any promises little hunter", I said and kissed him good night. I made my way up the stairs and when I walked past my parent's room I pretend not to see my mother taking a large sip out of a light blue bottle. I also pretended that I do not know from whom the bottle was from or what it did.

A black coffin is being lowered to the ground and hysterical girl is standing alone looking down at the dark hole, screaming. The girl begins to claw at her own skin until blood starts dripping. A masked peacekeeper runs over and points a riffle at her shouting at her to shut up. The girl starts laughing as the blood completely covers her face. The peacekeeper tells her one more time to shut up, when she doesn't he shoots. As the girl lies bleeding to death on the grass she looks up at the peacekeeper and she recognises his eyes. It's Alec's eyes, and the girl lying on the grass is his sister. It's me.

I wake up with a startle, surprised that I even fell asleep. I jump out of bed wrap my dress robe around myself and try to shake away the horrible dream I just had. The one I've been terrified for that one day might come true. But today I will not think about that I say to myself and brush my dark brown hair until it's in perfect waves down my back. I put on my green summer dress that goes well with my eyes (says mother, at least) and step into a pair of very uncomfortable black heels. I tread carefully down the stairs doing my best not to trip and see mother drawing on her eyebrows in a blue-black colour that makes her skin look even whiter then it is. "You look very pretty darling, but perhaps just a stroke of lips stick would make you look perfect? " She tries and eyes me hopefully. I'm not mad at her anymore, no matter how silly she and brutal she sometimes is, she is still my mother. "Sure, but not blue." I say and walk over to her. She pats me on the cheek and applies a lipstick with a light red colour on me. And for a moment it felt like we had a normal mother daughter relationship. "There, you look perfect. Remember to smile big to Slater this year. One day he might choose you to take with him to the Capitol, maybe even to live" And the moment passed. Slater was District 2's escort, and by nearly every girl in the district definition gorgeous. He was also know for always be on the lookout for a new girlfriend who got to live with him in the Capitol until he got sick of her. But I had yet to meet anyone who could confirm this rumour. It was only few years ago he was assigned over from district seven to two after the tribute there, Johanna Mason won the games.

Seven times the clock on the town square rang to signalise that in only an hour the reaping would begin so we better get going. Mother and Alec hugs me before mother ushers Alec with here to chat with some other copycap mothers who secretly know their children is not in any harms way. Because of dad's "offer" to help the Capitol maintain peace in far of districts his children's names will only ever be added to the glass ball once. And the little piece of paper with our names is heavier then the rest so it's guaranteed at the bottom. And I know for a fact the Alec has been told to take one of the names from the top. Our mayor, Mrs Fairvally, holds a long speech about the history of Panen, the dark days and the Treaty of Treason, which gave us the Hunger Games. She then introduces this year's mentor, Brutus large and confident, Enobaria thin and scary and Lyme muscular and proud. Those would soon be responsible for getting Cato alive out of the arena. As I became aware that it was soon time for the reaping I let my eyes run over the crowd, spotting Cato in the front staring hard at the boys glass ball. I pray that his name will be drawn and that someone else will volunteer. Then he would just have to accept it and next year he would be to old. My eyes snap back to the podium as Slater says, "May the odds be ever in your favour. Shall we begin with the lucky young lady?" He said with something that I think was supposed to be a charming laugh. But personally I wanted to punch him for using the word "lucky". "Ah, Clove Martins!" Slater said in a loud clear voice and a few girls around my sighed out in relief. Clove was two years younger then me, and apparently she was a bully and handy with a knife. She hadn't bothered me personally but Alec was terrified of her. "Any volunteers for this young lady?" Silence met Slater's question. A few sobs could be heard from the sidelines, but no volunteers came forward. When I saw the look on Clove's face as she gave the crowd a big smile before taking her place behind Slater I felt a pang of pity towards her. At least I knew she could help Cato. But if she came back home and he didn't, I'd be happy to show her just how dangerous I also could be. Then Slater moved over to the boys' glass ball and the relive that came over me when Cloves' name was called was now completely gone. My heart started beating so fast that I was sure everybody heard it. Oh God no! Please no. I wanted to scream but my voice was gone. "Peter McGee" Slater called. A tall boy at 15 came up to the podium. My world collapsed as I heard Cato's loud and strong voice quickly say, "I volunteer as tribute" when Slater asked that horrifying question. Cato looked so big and strong all the way up there, like he could take on an entire army with his bare hands. He gave the crowd a winning smile before he was led into the hall of justice. The Capitol's national song was played on the speakers as Slater said the end of his speech and people where allowed to go back to their normal lives. In the end it was only me, Cato's and Cloves parents waiting behind. Two peacekeepers first led us into the building, and let us take turns saying our goodbyes. Clove's parents went into to one room and Cato's parent to another. A few minutes passes and then it's my turn. I open the door and jump into Cato's waiting. I bury my head in his neck and I never want to let go. He presses his face down in my hair and inhales deeply. "I'll take this memory with me. How smooth your skin feels, the smell of your hair and the softness of your lips ". I struggle against my tears when he gives me on long but soft kiss. We both just stand there, presses up against each other and feel the closeness of our bodies. "I'll always be as close to you as this." I promise. "No matter what happens you will always be mine." I choke out now as I'm fighting a losing battle against a tremendous sorrow. "Erica? When I get back, will you marry me then?" I look surprised up at him and see him smiling down at me. "I would get down on one knee but I just can bare move away from you. So will you marry me?" I take all of his features in before answering. His dark blonde hair, his dark blue eyes and muscular body. His perfect, and all mine if I let him be. "Yes Cato. When you get back I will marry you", I say and mean it with all my heart. The rest of the country may see him as a career, strong and a born winner. But I see him as mine, and they way he looks at me now I know he sees me as his. Even when the peacekeepers takes him away, even when I get home alone and sit down in front of the TV, waiting for him to show up. I know, that he will soon come home to me. The screen flickers to life and Caesar Flickerman in a abnormally blue suit whishes' us all Happy Hunger games.


	3. Chapter 3

"I do believe this is going to be an exiting year folks! Let's have a look at this years tributes, shall we?" Caesar asked a roaring audience somewhere in the background.

"Well then, take a look!"

Caesar laughed his signature laugh and held a hand to the big screen behind which lit up in bright red and yellow with the sign of the Capitol on.

"As always what we begin with the busy and pretty district one!"

Claudius Templesmith booming voice said as a video showing tall modern factories and city swarming with people.

Even from the distance the footage was taken I could hear that the chatting from the city was not one filed with sorrow and despair. But I knew I needed only wait a few districts in before that familiar sound would reach my ears once again. The scenery changed to district one's town square, which also was bigger and prettier then district two's. Or any other district for that matter I thought with just a hint of resentment. I was surprised such a pretty feeling still existed inside of me. But my mothers eyes grew as she took in every detail of district one's fashion, architecture and people. I knew why, in her eyes they where one step closer the Capitol then us, and not just in distance.

I tuned out as my thoughts began to wonder how close Cato was to the Capitol. An hour way perhaps? A day maybe? How many days after the reaping were the tributes to have their interviews again? This was information I never bothered to remember before. I made a small noise of frustration and my mother hushed me.

I tuned in on the TV again and the reaping was just about to being. A beautiful woman in a slick silver dress stepped up to the large glass bowl looking as though it was the most fascinating thing in the world.

"Glimmer Nowl!"

A tall blond girl paraded up to the stage. She was awfully pretty, like everything else in district 1. I managed not to feel guilty over trying to find something ugly about her. Well she was really tall. In comparison to me she was practically a mountain. And Cato always said I was the perfect size and that he had always been afraid to end up like his father with a wife that was taller then him. This was of course a joke, but I couldn't help the smug smile that spread across my face. Then I mentally kicked myself for even thinking those thoughts. The arena was no place for love! Only death and for one person a second chance at life.

As I for the third time re focused my attention again to the TV the boy tribute had been picked. He wasn't nearly as pretty as Glimmer but he looked strong. But not as strong as Cato I decided at a second glance. As is came to the reaping in district two I found myself being surprised that you couldn't hear me mentally screaming as Cato volunteered. After our district was over I studied every tribute as closely as possible as the though of Cato fighting all of these teenagers became very real. Not many stood out, the boy from district seven looked down right deathly. I could only hope someone else got to him before Cato who was at least a foot smaller than him.

I was surprised when a girl volunteered from district twelve. Did she only volunteer because it was her sister's name that was drawn from the bowl? Or was that her plan anyway and she had some kind of a secret talent and wanted to win the games? She didn't look too strong. She was about the same size as I am and had long dark hair and olive skin. I think her name was Katnit or something like that. And just like that the reaping was over. The most horrible day for so many people's lives was summed up to a one-hour episode. How someone managed to do that was beyond my comprehend.

**Author's note:**

**This one was a bit short, but I just wanted you to see how it was like to watch the reaping from someone elses point of view then Katniss. Please review and comment if you feel like something is missing or if you have some ideas that would be fun to add that Katniss as not described in the books. Like, say, the costumes for some of the other tibutes? And of course what's happening while Katniss is living in trees to the other tributes ;) Thank you for lovley words and remember! Constructive criticism is very much appreciated :) **


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